Sign changing device



Aug. 25, 1936. A SAID 2,052,250

` SIGN CHANGIG DEVICE Filed Jan. 9, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 25, 1936.

A. SAID v 2,052,250

SIGN CHANGING DEVICE Filed Jan. 9, 1954 2 'sheets-sheet 2 g w w Pff--lNVENTOR Patented Aug. 25, 1936 UNITED .STATES SIGN CHANGING; DEvIcE'Ahmed said, cairo. om

Application January 9, smerialfNo. 705,8391/2 In Great BritainJanuary'ZS, 1933 l Claims.

This invention relates to sign changingdevices, and has for its objectto provide a device whereby signs, programs, scores, and like matter,either for the dissemination of information, for the purpose@ ofadvertisement, or otherwise, may be readily produced or changed whennecessary.

With vthis and other objects in view, the present invention consists ina sign changing device comprising a plurality of spools, on which aremounted a plurality of ribbons or tapes, a surface of each of which isprovided with numerals, letters, signs or the like intended for display,the said ribbons 'por tapes being adapted to be wound on or oi thespools'by a change gear mechanism to effect the rotation of the spoolsto thereby bring a variety `of predeterminedV numerals, letters, words,sentences, signs or the like into view.

The invention also consists in a sign changing device according to thepreceding paragraph `wherein the change gear mechanism is adapted to betraversed horizontally and also in vertical direction to bring the saidchange gear mechv anism into functional engagement with a selected spoolcarrying a ribbon, or in association with a ribbon, to bring apredetermined numeral, letter,

lsign or the like into view.

Other features of the invention will be apparent from the followingdescription- Y In order that my invention may be clearly understoodandreadily carried into practice, a pre,- ferr'edform thereof will now bedescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings wherei117- Figure1 is a diagrammatic perspective View, partly broken away, of a signboard constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the gear mechanism.A

wFigure 3 is a detail in side elevation, partly broken away, of part ofthe gear mechanism.

Figure 4 is a detail in side elevation, partly broken away, showing moreparticularly the winding device.

Referring to the'drawings "In Figures l and 2, there is shown a casingor frame m, which may form a unit of a sign board or displayingapparatus, which may include a plurality of ribbons or tapes, a surfaceof which is provided with numerals, letters, signs or the like. The saidribbons are mounted on a plurality of spools, which correspond to doublethe number o1' the ribbons. The spools are positioned in shelves b,defining separate rows of spools and ribbons. 'I'he frontsof the shelvesare provided with groups oi' stretching wires h, over which the displayparts (cmo-s6) fftheribbons areA adapted to pass. A ribbon, carried bytwo spols,`is adapted tobe wound on one', and-.off the other. The saidribbon, in passing 'frmione spoolV to-"the other, is led to the front@ff the`Y shelf or casing over two adjacent wires 5 of the rgroupbymeans of which the fiatness of the.displaypartfofthe ribbon may beassisted. Fo'rieampleitheribbon e mounted on two spools fcfand d, isadapted yto be wound on one and off the other passing .over two adjacentstretching l0 wires Iifa'n'd hfand'drawing thereby into view on thefront of the'casing a sign, as'for instance the letter .hij The frontsof the shelves with the ribbons constitute, when assembled in the outercasing, the display chart a', which may appear as a 15` ruled` sheet.jl'helapparatus also includes, as in Figure 2, a traveller 46 `and agear box l, which are adapted to operate a ribbon to bring apredetermined numer-a1, letter, sign or the like into view, as willhereafter appear. The spools carrying the ribbons have their outer endsmounted between the shelves, and the upper ends are adapted to mesh withthe winding device, in such a manner that upon rotation of the windingdevice, a rotary "movement is also imparted to the spools engagedtherewith'toeifect thewinding and unwinding of the ribbon. Y f 'Ihetraveller `6, carrying the gear box l, is adapted Yto be traversedlaterally within the casing bylneansofa screwed horizontal spindle 2engaging a nut 20 carried by the traveller. The gearbox isadapted to beraised or lowered within the traveller by means of a screwed verticalspindle `Imengaging' a nut 22` carried by the gear 35 boxxi A Thespindle l is adapted to be rotated by the horizontal spindle 4 which isprovided with a worm wheel I9a meshing with the worm I9 secured to thespindle I. The worm wheel I9a 40 slides Von the `spindle 4 by means of afeather key 4and keyv way and istted between the sides of thetravellerl. The traveller carriesV a second vertical spindle 5, to whichis connected by means of a 'feather key and key way a gear wheel 23, asin Figs.'2 'and 4, Afor giving rotation to the gears of the windingdevice'. The spindle 5 is driven from the horizontal spindle 3, which isprovided with a .worm wheel 2|a meshing with the worm 2l securedtothespindle 5. The worm wheel 2la slides on ,the spindle 3 by means of afeather key and key way and is` fitted between the sides of thetraveller` 6. The traveller also has journalled thereinra vertical guidebar 9, which passes through the gear box 1 carrying the winding device 8and is slidable and rotatable therein.

The winding device, it will be noted, swings horizontally about thespindle 5 and may be swung to one side or the other by oscillating thebar 9. The bar 9 is, for this purpose provided with the sleeve 9aslidable on and rotatable with the bar. This sleeve is tted between thetop and bottom of the gear case soas to slide up and down therewith and,is provided with an arm 9? which has a pin-and-slot connection with thewinder so as to swing the latter when the bar is oscillated. Normallythe bar is resiliently held in position to engage the winding devicewith a pair of spools c, d, by means of a coil spring I8a which isconnected at one end to a stationary part and at the other to a sleevevI3b slidable on and rotatable with the bar. This sleeve is formed withend cam faces I8c engaging co-operating cam faces and adapted to thusposition the bar in its central position, with the winding deviceengaged with the spools as hereinafter described.

It is necessary to bring the winding device from its spool engagingposition'between the shelves when the winding device is Yto be raised orlowered. For this purpose the spindle I is provided with the rock arm I8adapted to engage the projection i801 on the sleeve I8b and to pass itby. Thus the bar S is rocked by Ythe sleeve to swing the winding deviceto the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. When the rotation ofthe spindle I ceases .and the-'arm I8 and projection I8d are clear ofone another the spring I8a takes control and swings the winding deviceto its spool engaging position.

The winding device is provided with a gear train 23b journalled in thegear box and meshing with the gear 23. The outer gears 23b are providedwith pins 23C for meshingwith the'ends of the spools c and d when thedevice is swung between the shelves.

On rotation of the winding device, a rotary movement is imparted to thespools to move the ribbon from one spool to the other to bring thedisplaying partl thereof into View. For example, if there are twenty-sixsigns, say A-Z, then the ribbon can be moved to any one of these signsby suitably placing the gear box opposite the spools carrying the saidribbon and setting the winding device to operate the spools to thedesired extent to bring the selectedsign to the front of the cas-Indicating arrows I6 and I'I are secured to the traveller 6 andgear boxI respectively and are disposed within the casing, by which means theposition of the gear box can be indicated from the front of the casing.

The driving mechanism within the casing comprises a drive shaft I0which, by means of bevel gearing Illa, actuates the shaft I2 which isgeared to the shaft il by gearing 10b. The spindles 2, 3 and 4 aredriven from either of the shafts I I and I2, which revolve in oppositedirections, by means of the shiftable double worm gears 24, 25, and 26,each of which is adapted to occupy either a neutral position, as shown,or a position in engagement with one of the worms 24a, 25al or 268 orwith one of the worms 24h, 25b or 2lib as the case may be. Thus eitherspindle 2, 3, or 4 may be rotated in either direction or neither asrequired by suitably positioning the corresponding double worm gear androtating the shaft ID. Each double worm gear is secured on its spindle2, 3, or 4 by means of a feather key and key way and is shiftable by oneof the shift levers I3, I4, or I5 as the case may be, each lever beingfulcrumed intermediate of its ends and engaging at one end between theends of a double worm gear. Each lever is controlled by a manuallyoperable rod slidable in the casing and suitably engaged with the freeend of a lever. These rods are indicated in the drawings by thereference numerals 1c, l, and m, but the connection of the rod m withthe lever I5 is alone shown, the others ybeing broken away to show otherparts.

, In operation assuming a sign board or displaying apparatus, as inFigure l, including thirty ribbons mounted on sixty spools and arrangedin ve horizontal and six vertical rows, on each ribbon are twenty-sixsigns, say A-Z, if it is desired to set the signs on the top row so asto read Menu, the gear box is raised to the top row and to the left soas to set the c winding device thereof into engagement with the twospools of the rst ribbon. The winding device is rotated until letter Mappears on the front of the casing. The traveller is then Ymoved onestage to the right so as to come opposite the next ribbon and to bringthe winding device'into engagement vwith the spools of the second ribbonon the top row.

Having thus described my invention what I do claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is- 1. A sign changing device or chart of displaywhereby indefinite 'variety of numerals, letters, words, phrases and thelike can be readily produced and changed when necessary, and comprisingin combination with a suitable casing, a plurality of ribbons or tapes,each wound upon a pair of rotatable spools; a plurality of shelvesdefining separate rows of ribbons and spools, said spools beingpositioned within the shelves; mechanism remote from said shelves forthe operation of the spools upon which the ribbon is wound, saidmechanism being adapted to be brought into position to yeffect therotation of any predetermined pair o spools; and stretching devices withwhich the shelves are provided whereby the edges of any two adjacentribbons are brought substantially in contact one with the other.

2. A sign changing device or chart of -display whereby indefinitevariety of numerals, letters, words, phrases and the like can be readilyproduced and Achanged when necessary, and comprising in combination witha suitable casing, a plurality of ribbons or tapes, each wound upon apair of rotatable spools; a plurality of shelves defining separate vrowsof ribbons and spools,

said spools being positioned within the shelves; and mechanism remotefrom said shelves for the operation of the spools upon which the ribbonis wound, said mechanism being adapted to be brought into position toeiect the rotation of any predetermined pair of spools.

'3. A sign changing device according to claim 2 provided with a singlewinding device or bandoperating mechanism adapted to be traversedhorizontally and also in a vertical direction to selectively bring thesaid band-operating mechanism into functional engagement with any givenpair of spools upon which a ribbon or the like is wound to effect thewinding and unwinding of the said ribbon and to bring a numeral, sign orthe like into view.

4. A sign display apparatus according to claim device orY band-operatingmechanism; a horizontally movable traveller carrying the winding device;and a threaded vertical spindle connecting Y the traveller and engaginga nut carried by the winding device to move the latter vertically.

5. In a sign display apparatus, the combination with a case havingincorporated means comprising three horizontal spindles of which one isscrewed and the other two grooved, and two vertical spindles of whichone is screwed and the other grooved, adapted for mechanically operatinga winding device or a band-operating mechanism and also to effect thehorizontal and vertical motion of the said band-operating mechanism bymeans of a removable handle and operating buttons.

A. SAID.

